The Birth of The Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker!
by Dying Grin
Summary: The Story of poor Jack Napier and what drove him over the brink. One-Shot


"I'm not sure about this you two" Jack Napier stammered looking across the table at the two shady looking men sitting there. "Listen you little-"the hotheaded one started before being interrupted by the calmer of the duo, who leaned over the table and whispered quietly "listen Jack it's not negotiable we need the money and it's an inside job and you need to put food on the table so it works out nicely for everybody". After a pregnant pause in which not a sound was heard but the people around the bar talking the hotheaded one added "plus in Gotham city accidents happen and how petite and fragile that pregnant wife of yours is..." he trailed off. Jack began to sweat profusely. The calmer one put a suitcase on the table and said " go to Ace Chemicals tonight after hours dressed in the get up" the men silently left the seedy backwater bar leaving Jack to his thoughts. Jack wished he had never accepted what had seemed like a simple way to make money.

They had approached him a month before inquiring about if he had indeed worked at the chemical plant Ace Chemicals in a drunken haze he told them every thing, how he had quit to pursue his dreams of being a comedian but had so far failed and now he had a baby coming and no money and plenty of overdue bills to pay. The next day there had been a knock on the door while his wife was off shopping, He had opened the door and the men had asked him bluntly would he have any qualms about breaking into his old workplace Ace Chemicals. He had laughed it off as a joke, they had repeated the question.. Jack had debated the pros and cons and had quickly invited them in to the lounge to talk in private. They entered but refused to take off their overcoats and Jack disliked how their eyes were taking in the room's peeling wallpaper, the crumbling walls and the overall lack off expensive items in the house. Jack really hated when people did that. Eventually the calmer,sly one spoke "You look like you are in dire need of some cash Mr. Napier".Jack opted not to speak..The man continued "all we need you to do is get us in and guide us to the safe simple,right?". Jack had nodded slowly and then he heard the front door creaking open,his wife's cheerful voice echoed through the house "Jack honey you home?". "Yeah,I'm in the lounge honey"he called out while jestering for the two men to leave through the window ,.they dropped a slip of paper before they left. He had quickly stuffed it in his trouser pocket as his wife entered the lounge.

That night in bed, his stomach rumbling from an unsatisfying dinner of soup he reread the slip again by the light of the moon meet us at the bar where we first met tomorrow night to discuss the job, we will be most...displeased if you do not show. Jack made a decision and as rolled over in the bed he just hoped he could go through with it. He stared at the sleeping wife and the prominent bulge in her belly,for there sake if nothing else..

They had been late for the meeting he remembered,half an hour late. He had been watching the news on the dingy TV above the bar and shuffling his deck of playing cards. When they arrived there was a report on the news about the cities new vigilante hero Batman tightening his grip on the mob bosses. "A man dressed as a bat" Jack had thought "what a wacko"."Hello Jack" a pleasant voice greeted him, he looked up sharply as the man sat across from him "thanks for showing up it would have been...unpleasant to say the least". The hotheaded one just grunted a greeting at jack while sipping a beer..The discussions lasted for an hour and it was agreed that Jack would get 1/6 of whatever money was there. He left the bar quickly before his wife realised something was up. He felt there eyes on his back as he left.

Over the next month he meet them five times, each time bringing them maps of the place and relevant information but he made sure that he didn't tell them everything, if he did he would be useless to them. But with all the risks of jail time and the Batman Jack was starting to get cold feet. But every time he tried to causally tried to bring it up they would shoot him down, usually with threats to his wife and unborn child. Jack's wife knew something was up he never smiled or laugh anymore or even tried to get a job as a comedian, he wished he could make it less obvious but he really was depressed. He wished he had never met the two men, hell he wished he had never worked at Ace Chemicals , even though without that job he would have never been able to afford Jack's wife's wedding and engagement ring.

"Hey mate we're closing up leave!" Jack blinked in shock realising that he had been daydreaming and it was now midnight. He had been daydreaming for 3 hours! He grabbed the suitcase the men had left him and hurried to flag a taxi. He hurried into the door of his home after paying the taxi driver and threw the suitcase onto his bed and quickly stripped to his boxers and opened the case. Jack stopped for a second and simply stared at the red cape,purple suit and red tinted glass helmet in the case. He shrugged it on and sprinted out the door towards Ace Chemicals,it was 10 minutes to one, he might just make it. He never once wondered why his wife wasn't home from her hospital appointment.

Wheezing and sweating he arrived to see the two men impatiently outside the door. They nodded at him and Jack quickly typed in the code to open the door and then the code to turn off the alarm. Then his cellphone rang* "sorry guys" he muttered before answering the phone "hello is this a mister Jack Napier?" "yes" Jack answering bluntly "I'm sorry to say this Mr. Napier but this is Gotham City Morgue your wife was involved in a bus crash this evening and she died on impact,the baby died with her." Jack felt numb and the cellphone clattered to the ground as he sank onto his knee's "NOOOO" he howled with tears in his eyes, the hotheaded one sank his fist into Jacks stomach "stop yelling!" he himself roared out as Jack lay on his back,winded. The sly one helped Jack up and gave him a pistol,It felt heavy and awkward in his hands, not deadly. Then the duo pulled Tommy guns from their overcoats and advanced, on autopilot Jack led them towards the safe when suddenly out of the blue a skylight shattered Jack looked up as a black shape descended on them.

"It's the Bat"one of the two yelled,too Jack it didn't matter. Within seconds the two were unconscious and the masked man was advancing on Jack. Jack pointed his gun at the man not even sure if he would fire,a batarang hit his wrist sending the gun skidding across the ground. Suddenly The Batman was in front of him,Jack stepped back and the Batman swung a fist at him,it shattered the mask and propelled Jack over the edge of the railing. Jack snagged one hand on the edge of the rail. The Batman moved forward to help but then the railing broke sending him falling towards a vat of green acid below. Jack was afraid but at the last second as his body crashed into the acid he was struck with a sudden impulse to laugh.

*I'm sorry if him having a cellphone doesn't make sense what with him being poor and it being the 1940's and all but it was the only I could think of him finding out.


End file.
